You know that song: “I’ll Stand” by Hillsong? We sing it sometimes at our gatherings. The chorus goes like this:
“I’ll stand with arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
I’ll stand, my soul, Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours“
Well, it dawned on me recently that while that last line is definitely true – God wants all of us, our lives as living sacrifices to him, souls completely surrendered – it’s also true of what God says to us. This was a revelation moment.
Let me explain… In the parable of the lost son, Jesus tells us that the Father (God) says to the elder, jealous son, upon the return of his naughty younger brother:
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.”. -Luke 15:31
If we’re now living in the Kingdom of God (hopefully you are), filled with the Spirit, walking with God through life, we have a danger of becoming like the older brother in this parable. God says to us though: “Everything I have is yours”. All the freedom, all the love, all the grace we ever need is ours for the taking (or receiving). As I said, revelation moment.
Others shared some powerful revelation moments on Sunday. Can you recall any in your own life?
Paul speaks in Ephesians 1 of the “eyes of our hearts being enlightened by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation” so that we might know God better. Let’s be honest: sometimes our expectations can limit us in life. Therefore it’s good to be aware of what expectations we bring to any situation, so that we can acknowledge them and surrender them to God, living in faith.
Reflect
- What are my expectations of church? (think about Sundays, midweek groups, friendships, leaders, mission, teaching – anything that comes to mind). Is there anything that you need to lay down or hand to God? – Optional: you might want to do this visually by drawing a backpack and fill it with the expectations you’re carrying.
- What’s expected of me, as I’m part of the church? (be honest, are these expectations from God, from others, or from yourself? Do you feel freedom or pressure?)
- What does God expect of me? Is this different from the above? If yes, why?
Go Deeper
Dot asked us at Journey into Prayer last month: “Are you prepared for God to do something unexpected or uncomfortable?”
Where might God be inviting you out of your comfort zone? Where have you previously resisted change, challenge or surprise? What would it look like to trust God in the wilderness of those places?
Read
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” – Ephesians 1: 17-23
What type of church do you think God envisions from this passage of scripture? What does “hope”, “glorious inheritance” and “great power” look like in our context?
Pray
Ask God: what do you long for us to become as Your body?
